Day: October 15, 2025

Russia forks over JFK files to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, but can they be trusted? Is there a bombshell? Experts are leery  New York Post

several Young Republicans groups across the country, including the New York State Young Republicans, are under fire

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Six Brooklyn-based designers showcased the heart and soul of the borough with their couture at the third annual “A Very Brooklyn Fashion Show,” held at brooklynONE Productions in Industry City on Oct. 15.

The show, part of Fashion Week Brooklyn (FWBK), was hosted in partnership with the Brooklyn Made store and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.

Curators of the three-segment event — featuring the innovative styles of Voodo Fé, Ahmrii (who showcased her line at “The People’s Runway” at Brooklyn Borough Hall last month), Sigal De Mayo, Scrap and Delicacies, Graffiti Fashion, and Miscellania Fashions — were Gabrielle Napolitano, director of partnerships and communications for the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce; Rick Davy, founder and director of the BK Style Foundation (BKSF) and creative director and producer of FWBK; and Catherine Schuller, founder of Runway the Real Way.

This year’s runway carried special meaning for the creatives after a five-alarm fire last month destroyed a large Red Hook building that housed artist studios and small businesses.

Napolitano told Brooklyn Paper that a day after the fire, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce decided all proceeds from the event would go to the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition (BWAC), a Chamber member, to support recovery efforts.

“We felt almost guilty. We were like, ‘Oh my god, we’re doing this fun show, this is kind of weird,’” Napolitano said. “We’re supposed to help our members.”

The fashion show was a community-oriented event and an opportunity to connect with new and up-and-coming designers, Napolitano said.

“For the Chamber of Commerce in Brooklyn and Brooklyn Made, the [fashion show] really means to show what Brooklyn is about. It’s about bringing everybody together, because that’s what we’re made of. It’s a big grouping of communities, all coming together, like a big collage,” Napolitano said.

Fashion designer Adeleke Sijuwade has presented his couture for the past two years at “A Very Brooklyn Fashion Show.” The Bedford-Stuyvesant-based designer — who styled New York City Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo, a longtime wearer of Sijuwade’s designs, for the 2025 Met Gala — told the Brooklyn Paper that the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce provides valuable opportunities for independent designers.

“They always try to show their support,” Sijuwade said. “So [the shows] gave me a chance to show my talent.”

His advice for new and emerging designers: be “the real deal,” because Brooklynites don’t hold back their opinions.

“Brooklyn is a powerful, opinionated place, and there’s a lot of history in fashion,” Sijuwade said. “So when you talk about fashion, from hip hop to suit to street wear to high fashion, you name it, Brooklyn is fashion. I mean, if you have the name Brooklyn on a sweatshirt, on a hat, [or] on a bag, it’s already a fashion statement, just that name alone. So you know, you got to do it justice.”

Rick Davy told Brooklyn Paper that the designers who participate in FWBK are selected for their creativity and craftsmanship.

“I like creative designers,” Davy said. “Even if you do a suit and a tie, it should have some kind of a creative element in it. Even though you can make the suit and a tie, [when] you style it for the runway, it could be a little bit different. We want to have that kind of Brooklyn edge.”

Davy said FWBK differs from New York Fashion Week because it provides a platform for emerging designers rather than showcasing established brands.

FWBK not only mentors and features emerging Brooklyn designers but also highlights the talents of aspiring and established designers from around the world, hosting fashion events in Milan, Paris, London and Japan.

“I think that’s one of the biggest things that I think we need to try to do — mentor and teach the young designers, not just from Brooklyn, but around the world. So we do it more globally and show designers emerging from anywhere in the world or any part of the nation. As a mentor, we give them a platform to actually learn about their own craft and how they can get their product to scale, to sell.”

FWBK runs through Oct. 18. Visit the fashionweekbrooklyn.com for more information about the lineup of fashion shows.

Sponsored by AARP

This week, Brooklyn Paper spoke with city council candidates from District 47, George Sarantopoulos and Kayla Santosuosso, to hear their thoughts on community programs.  

Q: Nonprofit organizations provide essential services that help older adults age in place, yet many have faced funding cuts and increased demand. What actions would you take to strengthen and stabilize community-based organizations, including those that run older adult centers?

Santosuosso: One of the priorities for the city budget this year needs to be securing funding for these essential nonprofits,  because far too many of them are facing serious budget cuts at the federal level.  I pledge to use the discretionary funding that I will have available to shore up nonprofits that are facing steep cuts  and to reach out to seniors directly to understand what the gaps in the coverage are and how we can work together to fill them. 

Sarantopoulos: Our local nonprofits and senior centers are the backbone of care for older adults, yet many are stretched thin and struggling to meet growing demand. As a Council Member, I would focus on making sure these organizations have stable, predictable support and less red tape so they can focus on serving people, not paperwork. That means stronger partnerships between the City and community groups, faster help when funding gaps appear, and a commitment to treating these centers as essential parts of our neighborhood safety net. When we invest in them, we invest in the dignity and well-being of our seniors.

Q: What initiatives or funding strategies are you supporting to expand community-based services that cater to the health, social, and daily needs of older adults in your district?

Santosuosso: I began my career working at a direct service nonprofit, and  I know how essential local community services are to the health of a neighborhood and the people who live there. First and foremost we need to reform the system the city uses to pay nonprofits so that services are not delayed because of red tape and bureaucracy.  We also need more community outreach to understand where the needs are,  and where waste is holding us back.  I pledge to treat nonprofits that serve vulnerable members of our community with the highest respect and to hold them to the highest standards. 

Sarantopoulos: I want to bring more services directly to where seniors live and expanded home safety upgrades. We should also fund early detection programs for conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and dementia by partnering with hospitals and health providers to offer regular screenings right inside senior centers. These early interventions save lives and reduce long term costs while keeping people healthy and independent. My focus is on making sure every older adult has access to quality care, companionship, and practical support without leaving our neighborhoods.

Q: How can city agencies and community organizations work together to improve access to home care, transportation, and social programs for seniors who prefer to age independently within their communities?

Santosuosso: Our community based organizations are on the front lines of serving our seniors, so they often know best what challenges seniors are facing. Leaders of these CBOs will have a direct line to me so that we can ensure we’re doing everything we can to support our senior population. 

With regards to transportation,  we need someone in Office, who has strong relationships with our state elected officials so that when funding goes towards improving ADA accessibility on our subways and buses, the neighborhoods of South Brooklyn are not overlooked.  We need to listen to seniors about what works and what doesn’t work about programs like Access-A-Ride. Perhaps most importantly we need to make sure that social programs for seniors are protected from federal cuts by shorting up funding in our own cities budget. 

Sarantopoulos: Right now, too many seniors are left to navigate a maze of phone numbers and agencies just to get a ride, a meal, or home care. Ideally I would want NYC to build a dedicated 311 type number for seniors, one number that connects them directly to the help they need, whether it’s transportation, meal delivery or social programs. Behind that line would be a coordinated team of city and community partners who can respond quickly and personally, not bounce people around. Aging in place should mean independence with dignity, not isolation or confusion and this system would make sure every senior in our city knows exactly where to turn.

GREENPOINT RESIDENT Zayd Nubani was tapping in at the Lafayette Avenue subway station Tuesday morning, headed with his board to surf.

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The Business of Cannabis: New York Summit will return to Williamsburg this fall, gathering the industry leaders at the Wythe hotel on Nov. 6. This year’s summit is the organization’s fifth, and the exclusive event will bring together “300 of the most influential figures shaping the future of cannabis in New York and across the United States.” 

Organizers describe the summit as “the most impactful room” in the state’s cannabis industry, with three-quarters of access stated as invitation-only. The one-day event is designed for senior executives, investors and other figures who are shaping the industry’s future. 

This year’s summit will introduce a new format, designed to make the most of one day. Rather than “bloated agendas and endless panels,” guests will attend curated networking events, roundtables and one-on-one “Executive Exchanges.” 

The summit’s speaker lineup represents many of the industry’s leading voices. Among them is Bronx-born Fab 5 Freddy (Fred Braithwaite), hip-hop artist and founder of cannabis equity brand B NOBLE, in partnership with Curaleaf. 

Other speakers include L. Simone Washington, chief equity officer at the New York Office of Cannabis Management; Joanne Wilson, CEO of concept store Gotham; Seth Yakatan, co-founder of Katan Associates; David E. Vaultrin, CEO of Fluent and Amy Deneson, executive director and co-founder of the Cannabis Media Council. Vladimir Bautista, co-founder of Happy Munkey, which has locations in Downtown Brooklyn and Manhattan, will take part in a “fireside chat” about converting customers from the illegal weed market to legal dispensaries, 

New York’s cannabis market, now nearly three years into legal adult-use sales, has already generated over $2 billion in revenue. In August, the state’s legal marijuana market hit a record-breaking $214 million in sales, a figure “driven by the ongoing opening of new dispensaries,” according to MJBizDaily.

Organizers aim to look at “major challenges” that continue to persist industry-wide, like “inconsistent regulation, inversion, a delayed track and trace, system, and licensing bottlenecks.”

Brooklyn, meanwhile, has become one of the state’s most dynamic markets. Several dispensaries have opened across the borough this year, including Erudito in the Columbia Street Waterfront District, Budega in Park Slope, an expansion of FlynnStoned in Bay Ridge and more. The growing number of storefronts reflect the promise of the industry’s expansion. 

The Business of Cannabis: New York Summit will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 6, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Wythe Hotel, 80 Wythe Ave., at North 11th Street, in Williamsburg. For more information and registration details, visit newyorkcannabis.live.